The first post about pattern making for front openings was about adding zips or bands down the opening edge, with a separate finish for the neckline.

This is about finishing both front opening and neckline with a facing.
Again starting from a basic pattern, perhaps your TNT pattern for a pullover style, or your personal bodice block.
Doing the pattern work is still easy. But not quite so easy !

2 sections here :

Pattern making
Neckline facing patterns have curves, so it helps to draw them on paper first.
I give 3 examples, each a little more complex.

Sewing
General guide to adding a facing to an unlined garment.

Then a separate post with ideas for how you can add to a pattern with faced opening.

Overlap with separate facing – often used on jackets and coats.
A seam along the front edge gives a firmer result with more support, better able to stand up to wear.
Extension for double breasted/wrap styles can go out to about bust point or 4″/10cm beyond CF.

You can trace off a facing pattern from this, or make it by cutting as before.
Pin to pattern paper and cut around.
￼

mark width of facing :
– remember to include width of seam allowance down the front.
– facings for jackets and coats are often wider – out to bust shaping, perhaps 4″/10cm – so the garment looks good when worn open.
cut along marked line.
2 pattern pieces

If you prefer professional quality instruction 😀 here’s a video from the University of Derby. She’s using a half-size practice pattern block without seam allowances.

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Back neck facing

Use the same method to make a back neck facing pattern.
Either trace the top of the back pattern.
Or pin the pattern to paper and cut out round the edge.
Make the facing with a CB fold, even if the main garment back has a CB seam.
Match length of back facing shoulder seam to length of front facing shoulder seam.
Then mark the facing edge, and cut out.

That facing is the same width all round.
Perhaps add interest by making your back facing deeper at CB.
Here’s a how-to video from Louise Cutting.

And of course, making a facing pattern for a front neckline without a front opening is just as easy.
Or a front neckline facing for a pattern with a front band or zip.
Or a facing to finish a sleeveless armhole.

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Sewing a facing

These are general points which usually apply to sewing a facing to an unlined garment.
Just a list of what to do, not how to do it.

Join body unit and facing unit :
– baste/pin facing in place, right sides together.
– stitch main body and facing along front opening and neckline edge.
– clip or notch so seam allowances lay flat (good advice in this photo tutorial from Sew 4Home on clipping and notching curves).
– grade/layer seam allowances (trim them to different widths so they don’t make a lump by all ending at the same point).
– under stitch (tutorial from Colette patterns).

As with a front band pattern, once you have a basic pattern with a front facing, there are innumerable things you can do with it.
Here’s the link to the starting-point post on making a pattern for a combined facing to front edge and neckline.

Basically, the seam along the front-and-neckline edge makes it easy to sandwich extra style elements between main garment and facing.
Here are some ideas.

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Fastenings

Choose between fastenings which are added :
– between main body and facing, such as button loops, tabs.
– after the facing is added, such as buttons, snaps.
See this Craftsy class for ideas for special fastenings (not free).

Add these before sewing the facing unit to the main body unit.
Baste frills, button loops, trims, etc. to edge of main fabric – raw edges matching and right sides together. Trims point inwards from the edge while they’re being sewn on – one of those inside-out-and-back-to-front sewing techniques which doesn’t look right until it’s finished.

example from Vogue Sewing Book 1975

Then add the facing.

If you add bulky trim such as piping in the edge, it’s easiest to use a zipper foot when sewing facing unit and main body unit together.

Another option for a faced decorative edge (not an add-in) is to change the edge shape – add curves, zigzags, scallops. Change main body and facing edges to match.

Or attach the facing so it is outside rather than inside – though this does need some extra sewing techniques.

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Collars

Like trims, collars can be sandwiched between main body and facing.

from Vogue Sewing Book 1975

Use the collar piece from another pattern.
You do need to check that neckline and collar stitching line lengths match up. Notes in this post about how to measure the neckline stitching line, and change the length of a collar pattern.

When attaching, placement of collar depends on collar style :
– stand collar : place outside of collar to right side of body, turn up once sewn.
– other collars : place underside of collar to right side of body.

Here are some videos.
Jules Fallon from Sew Me Something patterns demonstrates sewing collar and facing to a pyjama jacket.
This includes a collar with sharp corner – Sewing Quarter, 11 Sept 18, time 2.22 – 2.55 (drag time line blob along to time wanted).
More tips from her, especially about sewing curves and lighter fabrics – Sewing Quarter, 15 Nov 18, time 0.32 – 0.53.
If you want to get familiar with sewing a facing before adding a collar, just ignore the sections about collars. The method for a facing without inserted collar is the same.

This is the easiest method for adding a collar to a casual blouse/shirt/jacket. Much the same as making pjs – just different fabric !
And this is also the collar sewing technique used in many blazer and other tailored/lined jacket patterns.
There are yet more collar shapes you can add into a faced neckline which doesn’t have a front opening.
And use a similar method to add a cap sleeve or trims to a faced armhole.

A zip or button band finishes the front opening edge – what to do with the neckline ?
The common neckline finishes are bias binding/facing, or a stand collar.

If possible, sew the neckline treatment after the shoulder seams but before the side and sleeve seams. It’s much easier to do it while the fabric is nearly flat.

This post ends with some ways you can vary the pattern slightly to make other looks.

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Bias binding or bias facing

Often the neckline is finished with bias binding or bias facing.
Staystitch the neckline, as a bias strip doesn’t add any stability.
Here are links to some tutorials on bias binding.
I’m preparing a tutorial on sewing bias facing without distortion, not a quick process.

For dealing with the top corner where bias facing joins button band (and the bottom corner where hem joins button band), see examples in the two photo tutorials linked before :100 Acts of SewingGuthrie & Ghani

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Collars

Here’s a free pattern from Colette patterns with several collar ideas.
These are patterns for a top with no front opening, so can’t be used directly, but are a source of ideas. Simply add a curve with seam allowance instead of the CF fold ?

Collar between main body and bias strip

You can borrow many collar shapes from other patterns and add them into the neckline seam between main body and bias facing.

from McCall’s Sewing in Colour 1964
top – baste collar to neckline,
middle – black overlayer is wrong side of bias strip,
bottom – stitch together bias-collar-body, then finish the bias strip by machine, or hand stitching can be less visible.

Stand collar

Finish the neckline with a stand collar which ends at the outer edge of the front opening, so it covers the top of the band. This may be called a ‘Mandarin’ collar. There may be a button if the ends of the band overlap.

Here’s a detailed photo tutorial on sewing a band collar, from Andrea Brown of Four Square Walls. Use just the band, or both parts of a 2-piece collar.

Collar length

When adding a collar/hood you need to match the neckline stitching line lengths of body and collar/hood.

For most collars added into seam between main body and neckline finish (bias facing strip or standard facing) :
Match length of collar to – neckline length from CB to CF.

For stand/band collar :
Match length of collar to – neckline length from CB to outer edge of finished band (or outer edge of facing).

Notes in this post on how to measure the stitching line, and change the length of a collar pattern.

Another band collar

There’s another style of stand collar, called a ’Nehru’ collar, where the end of the collar band is inset from the edge of the front opening.
A more complex pattern make and sew when combined with front bands, so I’m not covering it here.

Intermediate plackets
There are front band openings I haven’t included – I’ve gone for the easy ones.
Some which need intermediate levels of pattern making and sewing are :
Full length opening : covered/hidden buttonholes.
Half length opening : exposed zip, polo, henley.
Hmm – some day I’ll look for good tutorials. . .

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As usual, many riches to add to your simple pattern making skills. With just a little practice, many styles can become do-it-yourself 😀

There are many little design decisions to make about openings. I give the conventions, but make adjustments if you want to.
Do what professional designers do – if it doesn’t work out quite right, change things a bit and try again.
(Megan Nielsen recently sent an e-mail describing the months of refinements that go into developing her patterns. And we expect to get it right first time. . . )
Use your own judgement about what is right and what isn’t. Or collect examples of what you like.
Get to know your own wearing, designing, making preferences 😀 😀

Have a woven tee pattern and want to make a blouse ?
Have a pullover layering pattern and want to make a jacket ?
Have a sweatshirt pattern and want to make a zippered hoodie ?
Have a personal bodice block and looking for easy open-front options to make with it ?

As often with my posts, my post on closed-to-open-front pattern changes kept expanding. Which is why I said years ago I was going to write one and never got down to it. . . I’ve been thinking about it ever since I wrote a post on converting open-front-to-closed !

This first post is about front openings with zip or bands and separate neckline finish.
The second post is about combined front edge and neckline facings.

There are little design decisions to make. If you’re not sure what to do – have a look at RTW – snoop shop and clothes you own – and see how they deal with it. They can be a marvellous resource for making, as well as something to wear 😀 Best to snoop shop at high end. Cheap clothing lines use least materials and quickest sewing, and home sewists usually haven’t got to do that.

Pattern making courses and text books tell you how to draw your own starter pattern, called a ‘block’. Then how to alter it to make other styles.
But the two stages are separate. No need to draw or even have your own block. You can start your pattern alterations from any pattern piece. Best to use ones with few style elements, or something in common with the style you want to make.

No need to make a special pattern piece.
Place the front pattern away from the edge of the fabric, and use a marking tool and ruler to draw the cutting line onto the fabric. At the seam allowance width from the CF line.

For a quality inside finish, cover the edge of seam allowance and zip tape with bias binding.

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Button bands

Two main methods of adding a cut-on button band, with a single fold or a double fold to the inside.
If your fabric is the same both sides, you can double fold to the outside.
Or add a separate band, perhaps in contrast fabric.

Choose your buttons first, as the pattern making usually depends on what size they are.

Buttons are usually placed on the Centre Front line. There’s usually an extension beyond that to support buttons and buttonholes. The extension is usually 1 button width.
That means the two fronts overlap by 2x button width.

You can of course use any size button with any width extension, but some combinations look odd. If you use different sizes – best to check the result is what you want before making the final garment.

There are surprisingly many features of an opening which relate to the button size used, so with commercial patterns it’s best to use the button size in the instructions.

Front edge of main pattern piece
You’ve added to the front width by adding on the band,
so need to reduce the width at CF by half the finished width of the band.

You could draw folding, stitching, cutting lines direct on the fabric.
But you may feel more confident if you try them out on paper first.
Fold up the band pattern and hold it up on you – does the width look right ?

She finishes the band by hand, using ladder stitch.
Alternative : fold the band so the edge is a smidge past the attachment seam, and machine stitch in the ditch from the right side.

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Button placement

Put one button at bust point level, and spread the others out from there.
Easiest to space them evenly.

Have the garment made up enough for you to try it on.
Look in a mirror and place pins in the band where you want the buttons.
Top button – at the neck, or placed for the effect you want.
Lowest button – best to place this above your ‘hip break’ line or your top-of-sitting-thigh level, so it isn’t strained when you sit down.
(I would put the bottom of a zip here too.)

Button numbers and spacing are design decisions, for example you can put them in groups of 2 or 3, or at random spacing.
Or how about every button different ! Then the extension to use is a judgement call, perhaps the average size.

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All week I’ve been adding little comments about how to finish the neckline of a front band top. And extras you can add to your button band top.
This post got much too long, so I’ve separated off those comments.Here’s the supplement post.

Start with the simplest, if like me you get overwhelmed by too many options.
Enjoy the process and celebrate what you make 😀